Effects of Infertility Stress, Psychological Symptoms, and Quality of Life on Predicting Success Rate of IVF/ICSI Treatment in Infertile Women

Abstract

Objective: In any society, attention to physical, mental, social, and cultural health status as well as spiritual interests and providing opportunities for realization of a dynamic and healthy life is considered as the guarantee for the community health in the coming years. One of the issues that troubles the mental health of some people is infertility. In this regard, this study aims to determine the effects of infertility stress, mental symptoms, and quality of life of infertile women on predicting success rate of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Methods:The present study employs correlational methodology. The study population comprised all women referred to Royan Infertility Institute, Tehran, Iran. The study sampling was purposeful and included 79 infertile women. Assessment tools used in this study were as follows: depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-s), brief symptom inventory (BSI), fertility quality of life questionnaire (FertiQol), Newton infertility stress questionnaire, and demographic questionnaire. For statistical analysis, we used test correlation coefficients of data, multiple regression analysis, and logistic regression.Results: Nagelkerke squared correlation coefficient was equal to 0.253, i.e., the predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress, brief symptom, quality of life, infertility and infertility stress, all together can explain 25% of the variance of the dependent variable -success of ICSI / IVF treatment. Conclusion:When couples are waiting for the result of their treatments, infertile women start mental rumination and experience a variety of negative emotional experiences. These negative responses which entail cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of individual's psychological world, suppress the healing process and are underlying factors for physical vulnerability of infertile person against psychological pressures. Subsequently, this physical vulnerability influences outcomes of assisted reproductive technology.

Predictors of Quality of Life in Infertile Couples

“…Finally, no significant relationship was observed between the quality of life, the cause of infertility, and the duration of infertility. In this regard, Aslzaker et al4 achieved similar results. However, in the study of Rashidi et al,2 the quality of life was reported as higher in male infertility.…”

“…In fact, it was found that infertile women have a lower quality of life. According to Aslzaker et al4 and Andrews et al,20 high levels of stress in infertile women are related to reducing marital function and loss of quality of life, irrespective of the its reasons. Furthermore, the findings are congruent with other study results 22122.…”

“…In addition, since most of infertility treatments focus on medical treatment and social and emotional aspects such as mental disorders and stresses related to infertile people have not been reported, the related studies have dramatically increased on the psychological dimensions of infertility during recent decades. Psychological problems reduce the patient's physical performance and response to infertility treatment 4. These factors reduce the likelihood of a stable pregnancy with changes in cortisol and heart rhythm 5.…”

“…It includes health, occupational, socio-economic, psychosocial, and familial areas, and it is important as a scale of health care measurement 61011. It is believed that this factor is one of the factors which may affect the outcome of infertility treatment 4…”

The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Group Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and the Intolerance of Uncertainty in Infertile Women

“…Li et al [4] argued that mindfulness helped infertile women to cope with IVF in adaptive manners. Additionally, Aslzaker [11] suggested that MBSR is effective in the success of IVF and psychological symptoms in women receiving IVF.…”